48:7 - It is a scary thing to read passages like this and be a part of our culture. When we place our hope and trust in material goods and human strength, we set ourselves against God. We declare that these things are more important to us than God and we become His enemies. Why is it so hard to learn that these things we put so much stock in...spend so much money on...give so much time to...are powerless to give us what we are searching for?
48:44 - This is the original "out of the frying pan, into the fire" statement. If you run, you will fall into the pit. If you climb out of the pit, you will be caught in the snare. That sounds pretty un-fun "out of the pit and into the bear trap!" This is something I don't think we realize sometimes...you cannot run from the wrath of the Lord...you cannot run from judgement. Throw yourself on His mercy.
49:6 and 39 - Even in the midst of three chapters of judgement, suffering and pain - we see that God is working for the greater good of all people. There is hope for the Ammonites and the Elamites, even though they have spent generations rejecting God. There is hope because God is good and even His anger is aimed at bringing redemption in the end. Know that no matter what you have been through...what you have done...there is always redemption waiting when you turn to God.
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